Mail stolen in Stanislaus, San Joaquin, Sacramento counties for ID theft, indictment says

A federal grand jury has indicted two men accused of making purchases of more than $40,000 using identity information from mail stolen in Stanislaus, San Joaquin and Sacramento counties.

The indictment charges Derek Hillgert, 29, of Carmichael, and Jeffrey Wilhite, 30, of Linden, with access device fraud, aggravated identity theft and possessing stolen mail, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Sacramento announced in a news release Thursday afternoon.

This case is the result of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Tracy Police Department.

If convicted, the defendants each face a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine for possessing stolen mail, federal prosecutors said.

The defendants could face a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine for each count of access device fraud and an additional two years in prison for aggravated identity theft.

This story was originally published June 15, 2018 at 8:55 AM with the headline "Mail stolen in Stanislaus, San Joaquin, Sacramento counties for ID theft, indictment says."